that it may be just as
weel no to wait for.'

Brown was of opinion that this apparition of five or six men, with whom
the other villains seemed to join company, coming across the moss towards
them, should abridge ceremony; he therefore mounted Dumple en croupe, and
the little spirited nag cantered away with two men of great size and
strength as if they had been children of six years old. The rider, to
whom the paths of these wilds seemed intimately known, pushed on at a
rapid pace, managing with much dexterity to choose the safest route, in
which he was aided by the sagacity of the galloway, who never failed to
take the difficult passes exactly at the particular spot, and in the
special manner, by which they could be most safely crossed. Yet, even
with these advantages, the road was so broken, and they were so often
thrown out of the direct course by various impediments, that they did not
gain much on their pursuers. 'Never mind,' said the undaunted Scotchman
to his companion, 'if we were ance by Withershins' Latch, the road's no
near sae soft, and we'll show them fair play for't.'

They soon came to the place he named, a narrow channel, through which
soaked, rather than flowed, a small stagnant stream, mantled over with
bright green mosses. Dinmont directed his steed towards a pass where the
water appeared to flow with more freedom over a harder bottom; but Dumple
backed from the proposed crossing-place, put his head down as if to
reconnoitre the swamp more nearly, stretching forward his fore-feet, and
stood as fast as if he had been cut out of stone.

'Had we not better,' said Brown, 'dismount, and leave him to his fate; or
can you not urge him through the swamp?'

'Na, na,' said his pilot, 'we maun cross Dumple at no rate, he has mair
sense than mony a Christian.' So saying, he relaxed the reins, and shook
them loosely. 'Come now, lad, take your ain way o't, let's see where
ye'll take us through.'

Dumple, left to the freedom of his own will, trotted briskly to another
part of the latch, less promising, as Brown thought, in appearance, but
which the animal's sagacity or experience recommended as the safer of the
two, and where, plunging in, he attained the other side with little
difficulty.

'I'm glad we're out o' that moss,' said Dinmont, 'where there's mair
stables for horses than change-houses for men; we have the Maiden-way to
help us now, at ony rate.' Accordingly, they speedily gained a sort of
rugged c